Asdrubal Falavigna

Asdrubal Falavigna
University of Caxias Do Sul · Núcleo de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar de Pesquisa em Saúde

MD Neurosurgery; PhD

About

242
Publications
75,665
Reads
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2,511
Citations
Introduction
Chairman-elect of the AOSpine Latin America Regional Board 2015-2019. Member of the Ethics Committee of the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery for the 2014-2016 term. Member of the Editorial Board of the University of Caxias do Sul since 2014. Scientific secretary of the Rio Grande do Sul Neurology & Neurosurgery Society. Member of Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. Coordinator of Health Science Post-Graduation  in Medicine. CNPq Researcher PQ-2 2015.
Skills and Expertise
Additional affiliations
January 2006 - March 2016
University of Caxias Do Sul
Position
  • Dean of Medical School of Caxias do Sul University (UCS) Coordinator of Health Science Post-Graduation  in Medicine.
January 1997 - March 2016
University of Caxias Do Sul
Position
  • Coordinator

Publications

Publications (242)
Article
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Graphene nanoplatelets (UGZ–1004) are emerging as a promising biomaterial in regenerative medicine. This study comprehensively evaluates UGZ–1004, focusing on its physical properties, cytotoxicity, intracellular interactions, and, notably, its effects on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). UGZ–1004 was characterized by lateral dimensions and layer count...
Preprint
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Graphene nanoplatelets (UGZ-1004) are advancing as a promising biomaterial for regenerative medicine. This study provides a detailed assessment of UGZ-1004, emphasizing its physical properties, cytotoxicity, intracellular interactions, and particularly its effects on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). UGZ-1004 was characterized to have lateral sizes an...
Article
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Background: Telemedicine has shown benefits in continuous care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article discusses its practice in elderly patients with COVID-19, considering its limitations and benefits. Methods: Patients with COVID-19, aged 60 years or older, were followed up through phone calls three times a week for 10 days at the Telemedicine...
Chapter
Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a frequent pathology that affects adults around 40 years of age, with genetics playing the most important role in the pathophysiology. A high economic burden is observed in LDH patients, and it is one of the most important causes of absenteeism from work. Diagnosis of LDH is narrowed down based on the concordance of...
Chapter
Medical practice follows evidence-based medicine, which has the “3 Es”: Patient’s Expectation, Physician’s Experience and Evidence from the Literature. Ethical and reproducible evidence is critical to treating patients better. Physicians need to balance their experience with the best evidence from the literature to plan for a better patient diagnos...
Article
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Resumo Objetivo Comparar os resultados clínicos entre os tratamentos conservador (CS) e cirúrgico (CXS) das fraturas A3 e A4 sem déficit neurológico. Métodos Estudo prospectivo observacional de paciente com fraturas toracolombares tipo A3 e A4. Esses pacientes foram separados entre os grupos cirúrgico e conservador e avaliados sequencialmente atrav...
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This study aims to develop a decision support tool for patients and surgeons dealing with the uncertainty of surgical outcomes and the expectations of both parties for treating symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH). The study uses a mixed-methods approach with Markov Chains (MC) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to predict future health state...
Article
Background: In the context of anterior approach to the cervical spine, dysphagia is a common complication and still without a clear distinction of risk factors. Objective: To analyze the risk factors of dysphagia after cervical spine surgery. Methods: Multicenter prospective study evaluated patients who underwent anterior cervical spine surger...
Article
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Infection control teams collect and produce information on epidemiologic surveillance for prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a Lean method for developing process through flow efficiency. The aim of the study was to use VSM to identify opportunities for improvement in the infection control department...
Chapter
Cervical spine traumatic fractures are very common in the elderly, and the incidence is increasing in proportion to the growth in the life expectancy of the population. Diagnosis is often a challenge due to the anatomical and biomechanical peculiarities of this group of patients. Computed tomography of the spine is the exam of choice. The best trea...
Article
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COVID-19 pandemic created a need to improvise and redefine blended learning to be executed fully online. Background information on the effectiveness of fully online blended learning activities, especially for surgical disciplines is limited. This study describes a fully online blended learning course format on spinal surgery and aims to provide dat...
Article
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Ciencias Médicas de Córdoba 2022; 79(4): 347-352 347 Why are frailty indices not used systematically during preoperative spine consultations? ¿Por qué los Índices de Fragilidad no son usados de manera sistemática en la consulta preoperatoria de Cirugía de Columna Vertebral? ¿Por que os índices de fragilidade não são usados sistematicamente durante...
Article
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Introduction: Frailty indices are highly predictive of major medical and mechanical complications, lengths of hospital stay, and mortality rates after spine procedures. However, several barriers limit the extent to which spine surgeons employ these indices. The main purposes of the current study were to assess the use of frailty indices by Latin-A...
Article
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Objective: Thoracolumbar spine trauma is a world wide health concern that especially affects males of working age, being associated with an elevated morbidity. AO SPINE Type B fractures are unstable and require surgical stabilization. However, the decision between short or long fixation remains controversial. The objective of this study is to analy...
Article
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The objective of this study was to evaluate, by means of computer simulation, the difference in mechanical strength between two plate models straight and wave used in femur fracture fixation, submitting both to a progressive static axial load. There are criteria to evaluate the yield strength of a material: Tresca, Von Mises and Mohr-Coulomb. In th...
Article
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Resumo Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo é analisar o uso da assimetria de ombros como parâmetro para a triagem de escoliose e sua relação a outros parâmetros do exame físico. Métodos Este estudo avalia um aplicativo para smartphone que analisa diversos parâmetros do exame físico de adolescentes com escoliose idiopática. Examinadores médicos e não m...
Article
BACKGROUND CONTEXT Recent published RCTs have created uncertainty around the appropriate utilization of lumbar fusion when performing a laminectomy for symptomatic lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis. SLIP II is an RCT that aims to determine if spinal expert review might help to optimize patient experience and outcome for patients with degenerati...
Article
Objective To determine characteristics of Latin America productivity in spine surgery published worldwide between 2004 and 2021 compared between periods and global literature. Methods A comprehensive search about LA productivity in the field of spine surgery using the Scopus and PubMed databases was performed in February 2022. The results were lim...
Article
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Objectives Remote monitoring or telemonitoring is an innovative strategy to improve patient care. This study aimed to present the authors’ experience of a remote monitoring platform for post-operative care of patients who have undergone spine surgery. Methods A telemonitoring system for patients undergoing spine surgery, centered on a smartphone a...
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Background Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are invaluable tools to assure evidence-based spine surgery care. In this study, we aimed to identify perceptions, barriers, and potential determinants for the use of CPG among Latin American spine surgeons. Methods A 28-item questionnaire regarding the use of CPGs was sent to the members of AO Spine...
Article
Background: Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a prevalent disorder that brings great incapacity and morbidity to the world's population. Its pathophysiology is not fully understood. DNA damage can influence this process, but so far, there have been few studies to evaluate this topic and its true importance in DDD, as well as whether there is a re...
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Background: Both neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery are male-dominated specialties. However, the prevalence of women appears to be even lower in the spine surgery field. We intend to determine this prevalence on the editorial boards of spine, neurosurgery, and orthopedic journals. Methods: The gender of editorial board members of Medline-indexe...
Article
Background A critical step in curriculum development is conducting a needs assessment of learners. In spine surgery, the educational needs of trainees, and especially of practicing surgeons, evolve frequently due to changes in practice, technology, etc . To monitor these changes and adapt the educational offerings, organizations delivering continui...
Article
Study design: Cross-sectional. Objectives: To evaluate current practice of Latin American spine surgeons regarding surgical timing in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) and to identify potential barriers for early surgery. Setting: Web-based. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was sent to members of AOSpine Latin America. Ques...
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Study Design Questionnaire-based survey. Objectives Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication in spine surgery but universal guidelines for SSI prevention are lacking. The objectives of this study are to depict a global status quo on implemented prevention strategies in spine surgery, common themes of practice and determine key areas...
Article
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BACKGROUND: Even with the significant growth of female representation within medicine, inequality and prejudice against this group persist. OBJECTIVE: To analyze patients’ preferences regarding the gender of physicians in general and according to different specialties, and the possible reasons behind their choice. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectio...
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Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronic acid in the viability and proliferation profile of human femoral-tibial joint cartilage affected by osteoarthritis using in vitro models of chondrocytes in a 2-dimensional (2D)- and 3-dimensional (3D)-based culture model by spheroids. Design In vitro study of knee cartilage affecte...
Conference Paper
Here, we used solution blow-spinning (SBS) to produce fibers from aqueous solutions of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) utilizing a commercial airbrush. This portable device allows for rapid fiber deposition onto any target, exhibiting promising future applications in clinical and surgical therapeutic models. However, to translate SBS into an operating ro...
Article
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Objective The aim of this paper is to analyze the epidemiological profile of a large series of spine trauma victims in the Southernmost state of Brazil. Methods A retrospective study including spine trauma patients was performed at a tertiary hospital from January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2018. The variables analyzed include demographic data, in...
Article
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Purpose To develop and assess the reliability of new nomenclature system that systematically organizes osteotomy techniques and briefly describes the surgical approach, the surgical sequence, and the fixation technique for cervical spine deformity (CSD). Methods We developed a new classification system (SOF system) for CSD surgery that describes t...
Article
Background and Study Aims The objective of this review is to evaluate the incidence of operative treatment, outcomes, and complications of surgery for degenerative spine disease (DSD) on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients. Combined antiretroviral treatment led HIV patients to live long enough to develop many chronic conditions com...
Article
Background Context Female physicians rarely choose spine surgery as their specialty. While the specialty's nature and its associated lifestyle are potential barriers, gender-related issues may play an important part. Purpose To evaluate the gender discrimination among spine surgeons across Latin America. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Pati...
Article
Study design: Cross-sectional survey study. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of burnout, assess the personal and professional characteristics associated with burnout in spine surgeons and determine their quality of life. Summary of background data: Burnout is a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreas...
Article
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Um dos desafios das comunidades rurais e remotas é a dificuldade no recrutamento e a retenção de recursos humanos em saúde. A educação médica em áreas rurais é uma das estratégias para enfrentar tal deficiência. No Brasil, há relativamente poucos relatos de experiências de educação médica em áreas rurais, especialmente de duração prolongada, e há n...
Article
Objective To identify the delay for surgery to stabilize unstable thoracolumbar fractures and the main reasons for it across Latin America. Material and Methods We reviewed the charts of 547 patients with type B or C thoracolumbar fractures from 21 spine centers across nine Latin American countries. Data were collected on demographics, mechanism o...
Article
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Background Our aim was to evaluate differences in neurosurgeons versus orthopedists access to technologies needed to perform minimally invasive spine surgeries (MISS) in Latin America. Methods We sent a survey to members of AO Spine Latin America (January 2020), and assessed the following variables; nationality, level of hospital (primary, seconda...
Article
Introduction The treatment of unilateral CFD in patients without neurological deficits remains controversial, especially in the choice of the best surgical approach. Our objective is to determine the way spine surgeons from Latin America manage this condition. Methods A survey regarding management and surgical strategies was conducted by AO Spine...
Article
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Although cervical spinal deformity (CSD) can have a profoundly negative impact on an individual's quality of life and there have been many advances in surgical treatment of CSD in recent years, there exists no comprehensive classification system of surgical treatment that categorizes anterior and posterior surgery separately according to the grade...
Article
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (Spine Summit). METHODS The authors used a search algorithm in PubMed to determine the publication rate of abstracts presented at the Spine Summit from 200...
Article
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Objective The therapeutic decision in cases of adult spinal deformity takes numerous factors into account with a consequent variability in treatment options. The objective is to compare the impact of the MISDEF (minimally invasive spine deformity) algorithm on therapeutic decisions in cases of adult spinal deformity. Methods Prospective radiograph...
Article
Objective To evaluate access to the technologies and education needed to perform minimally invasive spine surgery in Latin America. Material and Methods We designed a questionnaire to evaluate surgeons’ practice characteristics, access to different technologies, and training opportunities for minimally-invasive spinal surgery techniques. The surve...
Article
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Background Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IOM) has become valuable in spine surgery. Unfortunately, it is not always available in many spine centers, especially in developing countries. Our aim was to evaluate the accessibility and barriers to IOM in spine surgery in Latin America. Methods We designed a questionnaire to evaluate the...
Article
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Background The perception of major versus minor complications may vary according to surgeons, institutions, and different specialties. Here, we analyzed the geographic distribution of the different types/severities of the most frequent complications in spinal surgery, and assessed how the perception of spine surgeons about postoperative complicatio...
Article
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Purpose To investigate whether the World Health Organization Safety Surgical Checklist (SSC) is an effective tool to reduce complications in spinal surgery. Methods We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiological charts prospectively collected from patients who underwent a spinal surgery procedure from January 2010 to December 2012. The...
Article
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Study Design Literature review and transversal study. Objective Advances in new technologies give the surgeons confidence to manage complex spine conditions with a lower morbidity rate. This has changed the expectations of patients and medical payers and foreshadows the shift now underway: the use of minimally invasive techniques. The ethical cons...
Preprint
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Background Developing clinical and biomedical science faculty to become effective teachers is critical to meet the challenges of medical education. Education research is at a stage in which we have strong theories of student learning, but we do not have well-developed ideas about teacher learning, nor about how to help teachers incorporate new idea...
Conference Paper
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A Internet é comumente utilizada para pesquisa de informações na área da saúde. Contudo, os textos disponíveis carecem de devidas avaliações. Neste escopo, realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura referente à formas de avaliação de textos sobre patologias da coluna vertebral. Selecionou-se artigos que avaliam a qualidade e a apreensibilida...
Article
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Este é um artigo publicado em acesso aberto (Open Access) sob a licença Creative Commons Attribution, que permite uso, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, sem restrições, desde que o trabalho original seja corretamente citado. RESUMO Uma organização não depende somente do quanto ela fatura com seus produtos e serviços, mas também do quanto...
Article
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Uma organização não depende somente do quanto ela fatura com seus produtos e serviços, mas também do quanto ela gasta, por isso, redução de custos é tão importante, podendo até ser o diferencial para uma empresa se manter no mercado. Este artigo apresenta um estudo de caso de Programação Dinâmica aplicada a compras de vacina em um hospital, a fim d...
Article
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Background The medical literature suggests that facet dislocations (FDs) must be managed surgically, even in the absence of spinal cord injury. In fact, there is no standard guideline for managing FD cases and whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be utilized for optimizing treatment planning. Methods Fifteen cases of FD were evaluated t...
Conference Paper
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Resumo: A microdiscectomia utilizada para o tratamento de distúrbios do disco intervertebral (DIV) deixa uma incisão aberta no anel fibroso (AF), que deve ser selada para evitar a re-herniação e outras degenerações subsequentes. Neste estudo, é proposto o desenvolvimento de um adesivo de poliuretano (PU), injetável e polimerizável in situ, como uma...
Conference Paper
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Resumo: Este trabalho investigou o potencial de um biomaterial polimérico como agente modulador da cicatrização de lesões cutâneas em ratos. A atuação deste biomaterial, uma nanomembrana de poliamida-6 quimicamente modificada com um derivado de óleo de soja (PA-6/SOMA), se concentraria no tratamento de feridas crônicas, as quais necessitam de impla...
Article
In this study, we present a numerical methodology to minimize the bone mass loss in a femur with a total hip arthroplasty procedure considering uncertainties in the material parameters by a RBDO (Reliability-Based Design Optimization) procedure. A genetic algorithm (GA) was applied as the optimization method and a three-dimensional finite element m...
Article
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Around 6% of the elderly population over 65 years of age are affected by adult spinal deformity (ASD). The increasing prevalence of ASD with aging has prompted discussion regarding the use of various techniques for its treatment, such as surgery and conservative treatment. The objective of this study is to investigate whether surgical treatment dem...
Article
The microdiscectomy used for the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders leaves an open incision in the annulus fibrosus that must be sealed to avoid re-herniation and other subsequent degenerations. In this study, we developed an injectable and in situ polymerizable polyurethane adhesive as a long-term post-surgical annulus fibrosus repair stra...
Article
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Introduction: Remote patient monitoring or telemonitoring aims at improving patient care through digitally transmitted health-related data. That allows early detection of disease decompensation and intervention, patient education and improves patient - physician relationship. Despite its relevance, there are no comprehensive reviews evaluating the...
Article
Introduction: Publication rate can indirectly assess the quality of research presented in scientific meetings. Considering presentations at orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery meetings, 10.5-66% of abstracts are published in scientific journals. Publication rate of abstracts presented at CSS Meetings is unknown. The objective of this study was to...
Article
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Objective: Spondylodiscitis is still a frequent pathology among neurosurgical services, and its correct treatment involves infectious, neurological and orthopedic goals. The authors describe the protocol and report the diagnostic and therapeutic results after its implementation. Methods: A prospective prognostic study (Level I) including patients w...
Article
Engineered skin coverings have been adopted clinically to support extensive and deep wounds that result in fewer healthy skin remaining and therefore take longer to heal. Nonetheless, these biomaterials demand intensive labor and an expensive final cost. In comparison to conventional bandages, which do not meet all the requirements of wound care, e...